PRIYA Nandra-Hart has become one of Walford’s most talked-about residents since she first appeared on EastEnders in 2023.
She arrived as Ravi Gulati’s ex and was hiding a shocking secret – the daughter Ravi never knew he had.
Who plays Priya in EastEnders?
Priya Nandra-Hart is played by actress Sophie Khan Levy, who made her soap debut on October 16, 2023.
She was introduced as the ex-girlfriend of Ravi Gulati and the mother of his then-secret daughter Avani, as well as their son Davinder, known as Nugget.
Priya has since become an EastEnders fixture, clocking up more than 200 episodes and being drawn into a string of dramatic storylines with the Panesar clan.
Sophie’s performance in the role earned her a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards 2024.
Born in London on July 25, 1989, Sophie studied Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick before training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Her mother is actress Shaheen Khan, best known for playing Mrs Bhamra in Bend It Like Beckham.
Shaheen was closely involved with Tara Theatre (formerly Tara Arts), one of the UK’s first theatre companies dedicated to championing South Asian performers.
Sophie’s younger sister, Nyla Levy, is also an accomplished actress and playwright.
How did Sophie get the role of Priya?
Sophie said the audition process moved quickly after her agent got in touch about the part.
She told Grazia: “Well, it started as an email from my agent ‘Subject: Sophie Khan Levy/EastEnders/Priya’! And then, when I read the script, the character completely jumped off the page.
“I cancelled all my plans that weekend and stayed at home working on it. I went to the shops and bought a Priya outfit – my wardrobe is very different to hers! – and recorded the tape.
“Next step was to go into the studios and meet exec producer Chris Clenshaw.
“I decided to do the whole audition in character from the moment I got on site till the time I left. I didn’t want to give them any reason to doubt I could do this part!
“I had my final callback with Aaliyah who had already been cast as my daughter and four days later I was on set.
“The whole process took under two weeks. It’s crazy how quickly your life can change!
“I then spent the next few months trying to wind back my personality to Sophie.”
What has Sophie been in before EastEnders?
Sophie’s previous acting roles include:
- The Christmas Truce (2014–15) – played Maud Furlong in this Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production
- Love’s Labour’s Lost (2014–15) – played a housemaid at the RSC
- Love’s Labour’s Won (Much Ado About Nothing) (2014–15) – played a housemaid at the RSC
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2015) – played Snug and Cobweb in the RSC/Garsington Opera production
- As You Like It (2019) – played Celia at the RSC
- Measure for Measure (2019) – played Mariana at the RSC
- Hanna (2018) – took the title role in this one-woman play, staged by Papatango at the Arcola Theatre
- All Creatures Great and Small (2022) – played Florence Pandhi in the Channel 5 period drama
- Mammals (2022) – played Beth in the Amazon Prime Video series
- Ride (2016) – played Poppy in the Nickelodeon series
- The Sixth Commandment (2023) – played Gabrielle Ade in the fourth and final episode of the BBC true crime drama
